5% Of Sale Benefits Gamers & Grognards

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

That's right. You heard it somewhere else first. WOTC has brought back the three LLBs in PDF form. The covers are the re-release covers (just like they did with the AD&D PDFs.) Still $9.99 for the LLBs is pretty good. Not to mention that if you had previously owned the PDFs, prior to their removal years back, you can download the new version free. You can get them right over here.

If your more in the mood for a classic sci-fi game Jim Ward has the original TSR 1st Edition of Metamorphosis Alpha available in PDF for a paltry $5.99 right here!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Before there were explicit fantasy games, there existed the inspiration for fantasy games. The reading list in the 1st Edition DMG appendices was meant to fuel campaigns, just as it fuled E. Gary Gygax's imagination as he wrote his classic rules. It has been used to fuel SOME games in the OSR (particularly DCC RPG) but is still absent from far too many gaming tables. The problem here came out of TSR itself, I believe during the 80's when they began to publish fiction based upon the game itself, and ignored vast amounts of the literature upon which the game was based. Let's look at the appendix as it stands in the 1st Edition AD&D DMG:

"APPENDIX N: INSPIRATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL READING

Inspiration for all the fantasy work I have done stems directly from the love my father showed when I was a tad, for he spent many hours telling me stories he made up as he went along, tales of cloaked old men who could grant wishes, of magic rings and enchanted swords, or wicked sorcerors [sic] and dauntless swordsmen. Then too, countless hundreds of comic books went down, and the long-gone EC ones certainly had their effect. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies were a big influence. In fact, all of us tend to get ample helpings of fantasy when we are very young from fairy tales such as those written by the Brothers Grimm and Andrew Lang. This often leads to reading books of mythology, paging through bestiaries, and consultation of compilations of the myths of various lands and peoples. Upon such a base I built my interest in fantasy, being an avid reader of all science fiction and fantasy literature since 1950. The following authors were of particular inspiration to me. In some cases I cite specific works, in others, I simply recommend all of their fantasy writing to you. From such sources, as well as any other imaginative writing or screenplay, you will be able to pluck kernels from which will grow the fruits of exciting campaigns. Good reading!

The most immediate influences upon AD&D were probably de Camp & Pratt, R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, H. P. Lovecraft, and A. Merritt; but all of the above authors, as well as many not listed, certainly helped to shape the form of the game. For this reason, and for the hours of reading enjoyment, I heartily recommend the works of these fine authors to you."

- E. Gary Gygax, 1979, AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 224

This list was added to and amended in the Moldvay basic rules, and then again in the 5th Edition Players Handbook. As I am concerned with "Old School" play, I am primarily concerned with the original Appendix N and Moldvay's list. Moldvay's list is as follows:

"Inspirational Source Material

A good D&D campaign is imaginative and creative. Sometimes a little research is useful to improve a dungeon, flesh out a scenario, and provide inspiration for a campaign. Books on folklore, mythology, fairy tales, bestiaries, and knightly legends can often help the DM fill in important details of a campaign, but fictional tales and fantasy novels usually provide the best sources of inspiration. The following list includes some books which might prove useful. A title list followed by “et al.” means that the author has written more fantasy titles than those which can be listed in the limited space available. Note that some books listed as “non-fiction" are about myths or legends, but are labeled as non-fiction because they are not on the fiction shelves of the library or bookstore.

Fiction: Young Adult Fantasy

Alexander, Lloyd — The Book of Three; Black Cauldron; Castle of Llyr, et al. Baum, L. Frank — The Wizard of Oz; The Emerald City of Oz; The Land of Oz, et al. Bellairs, John — The Face In the Frost; The House Without a Clock on Its Walls; The Figure In the Shadows, et al. Burroughs, Edgar Rice — A Princess of Mars; At the Earth’s Core; Tarzan of the Apes, et al. Carroll, Lewis — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; Through the Looking Glass Garner, Alan — Elidor, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen; The Moon of Gomrath, et al. Le Guin, Ursula K. — A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore, et al. Lewis, C. S. — The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”, et al.

Non-Fiction: Young Adult

Barber, Richard — A Companion to World Mythology Buehr, Walter — Chivalry and the Mailed Knight Coolidge, Olivia — Greek Myths; The Trojan War; Legends of the North d’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin — Norse Gods and Giants; Trolls Hazeltine, Alice — Hero Tales from Many Lands Hillyer, Virgil — Young People’s Story of the Ancient World: Prehistory — 500 B.C. Jacobs, Joseph — English Folk and Fairy Tales Macauley, David — Castles McHargue, Georgess — The Beasts of Never: A History Natural and Unnatural of Monsters, Mythical and Magical; The Impossible People Renault, Mary — The Lion in the Gateway Sellow, Catherine F. — Adventures with the Giants Sutcliff, Rosemary — Tristram and Iseult Williams, Jay — Life in the Middle Ages Winer, Bart — Life in the Ancient World

Short Story Collections:

Non-Fiction

Borges, Jorge Luis — The Book of Imaginary Beings Bullfinch, Thomas — Bullfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, The Age of ChivalryFunk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend"

Moldvay's inclusion of a young adult section (including at least three author's, whom I adore, Alexnder, Leguin and Lewis) as well as his inclusion of Mary Stewart and Clark Ashton Smith, the latter of whom I believe Gary mistakenly left off of his list, is most excellent. I also love his marginalizing of Gardner Fox, whom I have a strong distaste for.

Getting back to my point. These lists were created to inspire. In later years, TSR would publish a tremendous amount of tripe, that fans of the game were expected to swallow, in the form of it's own fiction, which drew upon the game (to a degree) as inspiration. The first result of this (I am not counting Quag Keep as it was a very early attempt) was "The Dragonlance Chronicles." This series of novels and railroady modules (in the opinion of many) began driving nails in the coffin of D&D as it was meant to be played. I won't dwell here, however. My goal is to praise the inspiration for D&D, not deride TSR's house organs.

Reading these two lists and their respective authors' opinions, it is clear that they were included so that the players of the game read from the inspiration and learn how were are properly meant to use the rules. I propose (as others have before me) that READING THE LITERATURE IS A PART OF PLAYING THE GAME. It is a part of the game to provide inspiration for the DM/Ref/Judge, but should also be read by the players to give them a better idea of what the "implied setting" of the game IS LIKE, and also as inspiration for knowledge that their characters might have and inspiration for playing the role of said characters. To encourage reading (which is something that I seem to recall roleplaying doing in the past, which seems lacking in the modern day) a rule should be allowed to encourage an understanding of the source material.

So what of this "Ur-rule?" The literature, presumably, dictated the game along with a bit of medieval history. I have, in the past, played in groups that used the literature as ad-hoc rulebooks (which is the inspiration for this ruling.) If "Rule 0" gives the Referee the power to override a rules for enjoyment of the game and common sense purposes, then Appendix N become Rule -1.

Rule -1

A player with knowledge of Appendix N literature may use proper references to Appendix N (as appropriate to the campaign setting) to accomplish deeds in which there are no rules, or as occasional exceptions to the rules as written.

Example:

Player: You're letting her be a halfling Cleric, and that isn't a part of the rules! Why can't I be a dwarf Assassin?

Ref: Dwarves are supposed to be LAWFUL as a race, per the rules.

Players: But in "The Hobbit" Tolkien says: "dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and ... and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much."

Ref: Alright, you've done your homework, and that seems fair.

As a referee using Appendix N as a jumping off point for my campaigns, I propose that any player who does their homework and utilizes the literature as rulebooks (a appropriate, not as a constant crutch) should be rewarded in some way, even if the ruling is shot down by the Referee. In most systems XP would be adequate, though other rewards, such as some sort of "inspiration point" or "fate point" which could be cashed in for a reroll or bonus to a roll would be equally acceptable.

Hopefully my house ruling thoughts on how to utilize the literature in your game is helpful, or at least thought provoking to you! Will the literature make you a better or smarter human being? Probably not, especially not the worst of it. But reading the best of it along with mythology and some history might just give a player a better understanding about the game, it's rules, why they are written as they are and what might be changed or added to make the game better.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

So, it's the new year and OBS is running a huge sale with a ton of titles at 25% off (some more as you'll see below.) This is, of course, the annual New Year, New Game sale. I'll tell you what. this year they have some big Old School winners. These deals are running until 1/14. You can check it out for yourself by clicking on the banner below:

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I'd like to share some of my top picks from this list. Perusing it, I found some good prices and some GREAT deals.

White Box Games:

Let's start out with a few good deals on games based on White Box Swords & Wizardry.

White Star: Hey, either you own this, or you should be asking yourself "Why the hell don't I own this?" It's been one of the really big things in the OSR since +James Spahn released it back in May. If you don't have a copy you can pick it up right now for $7.49!

White Lies: Where White Star brings you Sci Fi via the elegance of the White Box system, White Lies brings you espionage. Remember playing Top Secret and 007 back in the day? Well, think about how much more game you could get out of that with the simplicity of White Box's rules. That is exactly what you get here. For the current price, there is no reason to not check it out.

Ruins & Ronin: This White Box based game has been around for a while, but right now you can get the Asian themed White Box hack for a paltry $1.50. This one is also nice if you would like to drop Asian flavor into an pre-existing White Box fantasy game.

I cannot praise Kevin enough for the work he has put out. His games are an excellent example of what the DIY Old School community should be doing. I have yet to receive a product from Sine Nomine that does not hit (or even set) a gold standard. Right now all of his games are on sale. My top picks from Kevin are:

Silent Legions: OK, modern Weird Fiction/Horror rules that riff on Lovecraft AND can be used with old school D&D? Check. A system in the style of Call of Cthulhu but based upon old school D&D mechanics? Check. A system by which you easily create your own Mythos for either Silent Legions OR your fantasy RPG of choice? Check. A system to help create investigative adventures? Check. This one is clearly full of win.

Scarlet Heroes: This is likely my favorite product that Kevin has put out. If you like Red Tide or Asian themed settings get this book. If you want a one on one game of D&D with one player and one Ref., get this book. If you're looking for a simplified system to allow your players to have "skills" without being cumbersome to the game, get this book. Actually... if you game, get this book.

Spears of the Dawn: I have always felt that there was not enough material available for African based D&D. It's always been an "East/West" thing with the Middle East thrown in sometimes. Well, this product fixes that, giving us Old School D&D with African flavor! From the product page:

In this complete game in a single volume, you'll find...

A complete African-inspired campaign setting

Old-school compatible classes for ngangas, griots, and marabouts

New spells, magic items, and foes from African mythology

Focused GM tools for building sandbox campaigns

Tools for managing the background strife of restless kingdoms

Resource tables, unkeyed maps, adventure creation tools, and more!

Spears of the Dawn is an African-inspired game built with the free, award-winning Stars Without Number system. Within this book you will find all the tools needed for adventuring in the wild and brooding Three Lands, where the bones of ancient Obas rest uneasy in cities of stone and blighted memory. Dare the tombs of the bitter Eternal and the courts of leopard-mantled kings to find the wealth of a new world!

Chaosium Era Pendragon!

King Arthur Pendragon: 1st Edition: When it comes to Pendragon, it doesn't get any more Old School than the Chaosium Boxed set rules. They go for insane amounts in print online, but, if you've been itching to try this game out and want an early edition, the PDFs can be had for $7.49 while the sale goes on. By and far, my favorite version of the game.

Early Pendragon Bundle: Already know you like Chaosium Pendragon and want to build your early era collection? This bundle is where it's at, especially at the current sale price of 50% off! That's over 20 Pendragon books at 50% of normal price, including the aforementioned boxed set! If you're a fan of the game, this is an absolute steal!

There you have it. You have 7 days from this posting to take advantage of this amazing sale!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

+Arakar Gaiden is having a sale over on DriveThru. All of his Swords & Wizardry titles are currently 50% off from 1/7/2016 until 1/11/2016! You can get them right here!THIS SALE IS BEING POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY. The publisher will be supplying a new link at that time.

While your there, check out Spes Magna Games' latest Swords & Wizardy release The Magus. It presents a new class, meant to be the Magi of Ancient Persia (released for Three Kings Day/Epiphany for obvious reasons.) For .99 this one is a steal! This work is worth picking up strictly for the astrology rules presented within, which offer a nice clean alternative form of divination that is not spell based. I highly recommend this one.